MTA Metro-North Railroad – Privileged and Confidential

New Haven Line

Derailment/SideswipeMay 17, 2013

MTA Metro-North Railroad

Overview

• Description of Event

• Immediate Incident Aftermath

• Rebuilding

• Alternate Service

• Service Restoration

• Next Steps – NTSB Investigation Timeline

– Metro-North Interim Actions

Important Notes:

• The cause of this incident remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board; all parties to the investigation are precluded from discussing the investigation until it is completed.

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Description of Event

Two New Haven Line Trains involved

• Train #1548 (the 4:41 PM out of Grand Central due New Haven at 6:32 PM)

• Train #1581 (the 5:30 PM out of New Haven due Grand Central at 7:18 PM)

Section of Track involved

• Between Fairfield Metro and Bridgeport Stations

• Four tracks in the area; only two in service

• Other two tracks out of service as Connecticut Department of Transportation continues work on the overhead catenary wire replacement project

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Description of EventMay 17, 2013

Approximately 6:02 PM

Final Location of Cars

Shown: 1548 derailed; 1581 sideswiped 1548*

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*Both trains were 8 M8 cars

Description of Event

Injuries

Customers/employees taken to area hospitals

• 69 treated and released.

• 9 admitted (2 remain in the hospital)

Damage

• Two tracks extensively damaged, including the catenary and signal systems. Track damage required the total reconstruction of approximately 2,000 feet of railroad infrastructure.

• Of the 16 cars involved in the incident, 10 cars remain out of service.

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Description of Event

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Immediate Incident Aftermath

Friday Night – May 17

• Train crews began helping customers and the injured

• First responders (local emergency services and police) continued assistance on-scene

• MTA PD secured site

• The first NTSB investigator arrived on scene by midnight.

• Investigation turned over to NTSB at its request. The NTSB required the derailment site to remain untouched until the initial phases of the investigation were completed

Saturday - May 18

• NYCT’s Chaplain provided assistance, visiting the injured at two area hospitals.

• Full NTSB go-team arrived on scene 10:30 AM Saturday

• MNR sent key employees under direction of Chief Safety and Security Officer to participate on the NTSB teams and assist with the investigation

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Immediate Incident Aftermath

Service

• New Haven Line service suspended between South Norwalk and New Haven

• Amtrak service suspended between Boston and New York

• Metro-North called on the Connecticut Department of Transportation and MTA Bus to assist with buses through Friday evening to help transport people to their home stations

• Service would remain suspended between South Norwalk and New Haven until Monday morning.

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Rebuilding

Removing the railcars

• The NTSB authorized MNR to begin moving the railcars at 9 PM Saturday

• First 7 (undamaged) railcars removed from the scene by 11:00 PM

Saturday; 9 railcars remained

• Before the remaining railcars could be moved, a section of track had to be

built to allow the cars to be towed out of the area

• Moving the damaged railcars also required the lease of specialized

equipment; this equipment arrived Saturday night.

• The last three cars were removed to Bridgeport Yard on Monday.

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Rebuilding

• Rebuilding the right-of-way infrastructure

– Extensive work required; originally estimated to take as long as a week

– Hundreds of employees working around the clock

– Clearing debris and removing all damaged equipment

– Laying new ties and ballast; fastening the rail to the ties

– Replacing damaged overhead catenary wires and support structure.

– Reconnecting to a nearby substation

– Installing the wiring and components to reactivate the signal system

– Testing all critical components

• All signal testing was observed by the NTSB and FRA

• Test trains were operated

• Specialized equipment was used to perform additional testing

– Tracks were restored to service with a temporary speed restriction (30 mph)

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Rebuilding

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Alternate Service

• Metro-North planned and communicated an extensive train/bus operation for Monday’s commute– MTA Bus, NYCT Bus & Connecticut Department of Transportation

(private bus operators also assisted) worked closely with MNR

– All bus companies devoted a total of 120 buses and the bus operators, dispatchers and supervisors required to staff this effort

– Plan required teams of people at each station in close communication. Staffing included MNR employees from operations and customer service, management volunteers. Team participants also included bus operations specialists from MTA Bus, NYCT and CDOT as well as MTA PD and local police

– Local municipalities provided tremendous assistance establishing local bus routes and cordoning off areas from bus loading and additional parking

– Plan communicated extensively through all means

– Crowding on buses/trains and I-95 anticipated

– Governor Dannel Malloy advised people to stay home if possible or stagger work hours

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Alternate Service

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Service Restoration

Tuesday, May 21

• First track rebuilt and returned to service by mid afternoon.

• MNR began operating a limited train schedule on the one track available– 3:07 PM train from Grand Central to New Haven is the first train

to operate over the new track

– Howard Permut/CDOT Commissioner James Redeker on board the first train.

• All repairs and testing on second track completed Tuesday night.

• First train operated on this track at 9:30 PM

• Regular train service restored by 4 AM Wednesday, May 22.

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Next Steps

NTSB Investigation Timeline

• NTSB has publicly stated that track is an “area of interest” in their investigation.

• NTSB has concluded its on-scene investigation

• Investigators have gathered data, reviewed procedures and practices and interviewed key personnel. Additional tests will be performed off-site.

• An “Investigative Update” was issued Friday, May 24 to the news media.– Reiterated that track was an “area of focus”

– Asserted the belief that Positive Train Control would not have prevented the accident because the trains were not traveling on the same track

• Interim report(s) will be issued

• A Final Report will be issued in approximately one year

• The investigation is considered open until the final report is issued

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Next StepsMetro-North Interim Actions

• MNR will take action in specific areas in advance of formal recommendations from the NTSB

Track

• Inspect and inventory all similar joints

• Bring in expertise from other MTA agencies to assist in this evaluation

• Work with TTCI (a research affiliate of the American Association of Railroads) to assess MNR’s programs to inspect and maintain its track infrastructure and identify recommendations.

• Identify additional resources needed

• Reprioritize work, as necessary

Customer/Employee Assistance

• Develop procedures to provide after-incident support to injured customers/employees and their family members

• MNR will also implement any recommendations issued by the NTSB.

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